Never hate the sinners, but only the sins
Hazrat Arib Billah Hakeem Akhtar (Damat barakatuhum) said: “Mawlana Qasim Nanotwi (rahmatullahi alayhi) once saw a Hindu street-cleaner that he knew, taking a stroll in Jannah in his dream. He asked him in the dream, “O Lala Jee, how have you entered Jannah?” The Hindu man answered, “At the time of death, I uttered that phrase…” Notice that he is referring to the kalimah as “that phrase” due to the fact that for a Hindu, the kalimah is a phrase that must never be mentioned. But Allah granted him the tawfeeq (guidance) of uttering it before his death. His whole life he had been worshipping idols and statues, but in the end, he was blessed with imaan (true faith). This is the why having hatred in the heart for a disbeliever is haraam (completely...
Read MoreCompassion in the battlefield
Qadhi ibn Shaddad (rahmatullahi alayhi) was the personal advisor of Salahuddin Ayyubi (rahmatullahi alayhi). They travelled together on a number of expeditions. He explains: “I was riding in the service of Salahuddin in an expedition against the Europeans, when a soldier brought a woman to us. She was crying uncontrollably and repeatedly beating her chest. It was obvious that she was seriously traumatised. The soldier explained, “This woman has come from the European ranks and asked to be taken to the Sultan, so I brought her here.” The Sultan asked an interpreter to question her regarding her story. She explained, “Muslim thieves entered my tent last night and stole my baby girl. I have been crying out for help throughout the night. I was advised by my...
Read MoreKindness to Animals
Islam places great emphasis on kindness and respect for all of Allah’s (sw) creation. The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reached the pinnacle of glory and greatness because they meticulously followed the teachings of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Fustat- The Tent City During the conquest of Egypt, ‘Amr ibn al-As (radiallahu anhu), a Muslim commander, received the go-ahead from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu) to conquer Alexandria. As he issued the command for his tent to be pulled down, he noticed that a pigeon had laid eggs in a corner of the tent. He commanded, “Leave the tent standing until the eggs have hatched and young birds can fly away on their own.” He appointed a person to guard...
Read MoreSublime conduct with neighbours
Hasan al-Basri (rahmatullahi alayhi) had a Christian neighbour who had a toilet on top of his house. Urine used to seep through from the toilet into the house of Hasan al-Basri (rahmatullahi alayhi), who ordered that a container be placed beneath that area so that the drops would fall therein. At night, he would dispose of the contents. One day, he was ill and his Christian neighbour came to visit him. When he noticed what was going on, he asked, “How long have you been patiently bearing my filth?” Hasan al-Basri (rahmatullahi alayhi) replied, “Twenty years.” On hearing this, he decided to accept Islam. The sublime conduct taught by Islam has the power to touch the lives of others. Shaykh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah (rahmatullahi alayhi) emphasising on the...
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